Service: The Power to Enhance the Lives of Others

"From being an adult leader on Arbishop Carroll's first Kairos retreat to helping with the incredible food drive we put on, I have seen firsthand how these experiences help form our students. Students learn how to reach outside of themselves and gain an understanding of how their actions have the power to enhance the lives of others."

The math teacher got down to business at Archbishop Carroll High School, focusing not on her own sense of comfort but on her students' ability to succeed and to serve. Alyssa Bellinder, former track star from Kansas State University, chose displacement from her undergraduate experience to teach and to support young minds in her classroom in Washington, D.C.

"I believe in my students," Alyssa continues. "I tell them, 'I believe you can succeed. But the choice is up to you.' My goal is to provide them with an experience in which they can watch hard work and determination pay off with success. Students need to see the critical role that their effort plays in their accomplishments now and in the future."

Since graduating from ACE in 2013, Alyssa has continued teaching in Catholic schools, and is now teaching Geometry and Honors Geometry at Bishop Machebeuf High School in Denver, CO. She continues her commitment to service in her classroom.

"I've always wanted to be a teacher," she explains. "I have discovered that my life is not about me. It is about God and how I can serve him through my work as a teacher."

To read about Alyssa's community in Washington, DC, click here. To learn more about ACE Teaching Fellows, click here.